News and Reviews for 2005

Ok, I am back at home base.
It's almost the new year so let's review then this year's highlights:
Best Pastrami Ruben
C J's Deli & Cafe Sun City Center, FL 33573
-Thick rye bread on good pastrami, and sassy retirees behind the counter

Best Radio Show Playlist
Rhythm Rides Again, With George Roland Hare (on WRDV)
-George focuses on the missing links between eary R&B, Blues and Rhythm, Jump Blues genres. Emminently listenable.

Best Record Store
Daddy O's Record Rack
312 Laurel Road Nokomis, FL 34275
-an actual retro record store complete with thousands of LPs. This guy actually has a 10" of Billy the Kid Emerson. I bought an Arthur Crudup CD for $7.00. Killer.

Best Local Paper
Triangle Free Press in Raleigh
-first time I read about the monkey hacking the dibold voting machine
http://www.trianglefreepress.org/
*honorable mention to the Portland Phoenix for turning me on to the band Green Milk

Best Music Columnist
http://www.westword.com/Issues/2005-11-03/music/music.html
John La Briola at West Word. He tipped the world off to the gothic-country scene also called heroin-rock, dark hick, and folk noir. I am not sure that it actually exists, but it sounds so beleivable.

Favorite DJ
http://www.keepingscoreathome.com/
John Solomon (WPRB)
I have bought more CDs this buy played than from any other show I've heard anywhere. other DJ's play great songs, but John tells me who the band is and where to get the disc. He's been at it 16 years, here's to 16 more.

Best Local Magazine
Shake!of nashville http://www.shakemagazine.com/
-incredible article on Will Allen, and WLAC

My top 10 records of 2005
Bloarzeyd –Self titled EP
Blackfire Revelation –gold & guns
Heavy Trash –self titled
Valley arena –take comfort in strangers
Mindless self Indulgence –You’ll rebel to anything
Green Milk From Planet Orange – City Calls revolution
Bright Channel –self titled
Des Ark –loose lips sink ships
Dalek Absence
Jesu -Jesu